Progressives call on Democrat Lieberman to drop out of Georgia Senate race

Ten national progressive groups are calling on Democrat Matt Lieberman to drop out of the Georgia Senate race, warning that he could cost Democrats a shot at unseating Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R).

The groups, which include Justice Democrats, Democracy for America, Progressive Change Campaign Committee and the Working Families Party, wrote a letter to Lieberman saying that his “continued presence in this race poses a very real and potentially disastrous threat to Democrats’ chances of winning Georgia’s special election for the U.S. Senate.”

The progressive groups are asking Lieberman to drop out and throw his support behind Democrat Raphael Warnock, who has surged in recent polls and was recently endorsed by former President Obama. 

“Together, we represent tens of thousands of grassroots activists in Georgia and millions across the country and we’re asking you, Mr. Lieberman — for the good of the Democratic Party and the country — to end your race for U.S. Senate, encourage those who are still supporting you to vote for Raphael Warnock, and join us in doing everything we can to ensure Democrats win this year’s special election for U.S. Senate in Georgia,” the groups said in the letter.

The Georgia Senate special election on Nov. 3 is a blanket primary with more than a dozen candidates in the running. The top two finishers, regardless of party, will move on to a January runoff unless one person gets 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 3. 

The latest Monmouth University survey found Loeffler leading at 23 percent, followed by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) at 22 percent, Warnock at 21 percent and Lieberman at 11 percent. Warnock is up 12 points from the same poll in July. 

If the Nov. 3 election plays out in this order, only the two Republicans would move on, with Warnock finishing barely out of the running.

A University of Georgia poll found a similar result, with Loeffler at 24 percent, and Collins and Warnock tied at 20 percent. Lieberman again came in at 11 percent support.

“Right now, you have a unique opportunity to have a decisive impact on Democrats’ chances in a U.S. Senate race that could stop Senate Republicans from using an illegitimate process to hijack our democracy and force a right-wing extremist onto the Supreme Court for the rest of her life,” the progressive groups wrote. “We urge you, with everything we have, to do the right thing for our country, end your race for U.S. Senate, and ensure Democrats stand united behind Raphael Warnock in this unique election.” 

The letter was also signed by the groups Be A Hero Fund, Blue Future, Progress America, Progressive Democrats of America, RootsAction.org and Social Security Works PAC.